Meet Me Monday and Monday Made It

Happy Monday friends! 

I am linking up with The Teaching Tribune again for Monday Meet Me. This week's focus is on 3 things I am thankful for. 

1. Of course, I am thankful for my kids. They are a handful, but they teach me new ways to appreciate life and be a better person, mother, and teacher. 

We are so thankful they are healthy and doing well. They are not perfect, but in comparison to what they could be dealing with, we are thankful for their great health and abilities. 

My youngest is one of those reminders of how lucky we are. 

Almost 5 years ago I woke up to a scary scene and was in labor 2 months early. I was frightened, and even though the doctors and nurses did their best to keep me from worrying, it was clear, both of our lives were at risk. (My uterus ruptured and I was bleeding heavily. He was born without fully developed lungs or the ability to swallow.)

He was and is a little warrior. He had some shaky moments, but he made remarkable gains, even went home 1 month earlier than predicted. I was lucky enough to be with him every day he was in the NICU, I know that bond helped him grow and conquer the obstacles in his path.  

It took our entire family a long time to recover from the trauma* and not worry about breathing, feeding, and infections. We stayed close, built a stronger bond, and are a happy crew of 5. (*Although they were young, my oldest 2 were traumatized by the events - it is hard to explain to a 4 year-old why his brother has to stay in the hospital and to a 2 year-old why he cannot go in to meet him - he saw him through pictures for the first 30 days, he got to see/touch him the day he came home. Yes, I bawled!)

2. I have seen the grass on the other side of the proverbial fence, and it is not greener! I worked in other fields, worked in a horrible school, worked in an awful micro-managed environment, and struggled to find my "place" in my current school. I am thankful for where I am at, how much better it is, and how great of a team/family I work with. I know how hard it is to get and keep a job in education, so I really appreciate all of the hard work I put in to my career and the wonderful people I work with.

3. Ok, it is cliché, but I am incredibly thankful for my family, husband, and my friends! I am especially thankful for the friends I am making through blogging. When I started, I was not sure where this blog would lead me. Today, I know it is along a path of developing great friendships!

Thank you for all of the kindness and camaraderie each of you provides!

Thank you for the chance to share a little piece of me and being a part of making me the best teacher I can be!

Although my creations are simple, I am linking up again with Tara from 4th Grade Frolics for Monday Made It. Here are some of the things I have been busy doing. 

The kids and I made this painting for their Grandma's birthday.

We used a canvas, acrylic paint, stencils I cut using my Silhouette, and a Sharpie paintbrush. Grandma really liked this part of her gift and the boys loved painting!

I am determined to de-clutter and use the great ideas I have pinned on my Pinterest board. I finally got around to hanging the spice racks I picked up at Ikea.

My youngest loves his new trophy rack right above his headboard. I hung the medals with clear Command hooks that are hidden behind his brother's top bunk.

To encourage my oldest to read more, I set up some bookshelves in his room. I need to get better drywall anchors, so I had to stop hanging them, even with light books they came out of the wall.

Once I finish hanging his book racks, I think I will personalize the shelves with some book quotes and the wall with some inspirational quotes. I am determined to use my Silhouette and vinyl (my first few experiences with the vinyl were epic failures).

I love the inside of Stitch Fix boxes and am determined to put them to good use. I decided to try our some spray adhesive and turn the boxes in to paper collectors for my classroom.

The adhesive worked well on every part, but the bottom, think I might add some hot glue to hold the flaps on the bottom.

For now, I painted the corners and over the code and directions. I might add some pretty fabric to the outside of the box to make it look less like a recycled box. 

I added the black add-on label, purchased at Target. 

I was inspired by a pin I had on my board. My boxes are still a work in progress, but they are too pretty to just recycle. I plan to use them to collect completed work and work in progress. 

This was first time using spray adhesive, I got a lot on my hands. The best way to remove it is with some oil, like coconut oil or use some lotion, sticky residue comes off while you moisturize! 

Speaking of wrapping fabric and spray adhesive, I made a simple pin board for my classroom from a piece of scrap wood, Styrofoam, and fabric. 

It matches the fabric on the curtains in my classroom. I thought about painting it, but I wanted something a little different than the clip board I used last year. 

I added the Styrofoam so I can pin papers to the board. I plan to use it to keep track of grade level papers. 

It also coordinates with the cardboard circles I made last year. 

The lighting is bad in this picture, the accent color is green.

As the month nears the end I am starting to feel the need to create. Just a few weeks to get crafty before planning and teaching resumes. Hopefully I will have some grander creations for you next Monday. 

What have you created recently?